IndyCar Is Seeing Record Numbers

In today’s edition of the Front Office Sports newsletter, we’re taking a look at the Indianapolis 500 hosting its second-largest crowd in 20 years.

Indianapolis 500 Brings In 325,000 Fans, Record Purse

The Indianapolis 500 came roaring back on Sunday, welcoming 325,000 fans.

The race was the first since the start of the pandemic in which the?Indianapolis Motor Speedway?was open to fans without any restrictions.

While it remains uncertain whether the rising popularity of?Formula 1?in the U.S. will hurt or lift U.S.-based racing series such as IndyCar, the showing demonstrated resilience for the flagship event.

• The crowd was the?second-largest in 20 years, behind only the 100th running of the race in 2016.
• The venue has 250,000 permanent seats and can accommodate around?350,000.
• The Indy 500 allowed 135,000 fans last year, and none in 2020.

The event was?blacked out?on local television broadcasts in an effort to boost ticket sales, but all fans were able to watch on NBC’s streaming service,?Peacock. NBC attempted to comply with the blackout but was unable to devise a technical solution to exclude a geographical area that small.

Record Prize

Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson, who came to Indy from F1, took home?$3.1 million, a?record?top prize for the event. Second place Pato O’Ward earned?$1 million, which was among the highest totals for a runner-up.

Average driver winnings reached?$485,000.

Conversation Starters

• Tempe’s city council will vote on Thursday whether or not to begin formal negotiations on a $1.7 billion development centering on a new arena for the Arizona Coyotes.
• The Premier League will see 11 of its clubs increase the asking price for season-long admission, up from six clubs in 2021.
• The sale of a 5.7% stake in New Zealand Rugby’s commercial rights to Silver Lake for $130.6 million is up against a critical vote on Thursday at a special general meeting.
• The Houston Texans have raised $400,000 for the Robb School Memorial Fund in Uvalde, Texas.
• The House Oversight Committee has requested that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder appear at a June 22 hearing.

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